Receptacle closure



L. R. N. CARVALHO RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed Oct. 29 1921 l gwmm moemtoz Watent 1% @ct. 7, i924.

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. 1' 13. N. CARVALHO, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, assronoa, BY MESNE ASSIGN- mrs, 'ro THE CLOSURE snnvrcn comm, a CORPORATION or omo.

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE.

Application filed October 29, 1921. Serial No. 511,392.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE R. N. CAR- VALHO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Re ceptacle Closures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a receptacle closure.

Altho the device is particularly designed for use as a closure upon relatively small necked bottles, such as ketchup bottles and the like, nevertheless it will be apparent that the same may be used satisfactorily as a closure for receptacles of other kinds and proportions.

An object of the invention is to provide a closure which can be cheaply and easily manufactured and which will provide an attractive and efficient addition to the receptacle;

A further object is to provide a closure which will serve normally to seal the receptacle but which may be readily released, and when released will still be eflicient for use as a temporary closure.

A further object is to provide a closure so constructed that the material which is to constitute the depending flange portion, may be painted or otherwise ornamented in any appropriate manner prior to the formation of the closure, and will retain this ornamentation unmutilated in the completed closure,

and specifically, in this connection, to pro vide a closure in which the flange portion is formed of a piece separate from the cover portion; that is, not drawn downwardly from the cover portion, and to combine with this structure a retaining means which may be readily provided without danger or likelihood of in any way defacing the ornamentation or surface finish of the flange portion.

A further object is to provide a closure having a part of its flange portion at its lower edge adapted to be torn off for releasing the closure, yet leaving the upper part unchanged and ready for use as an attractive and satisfactory temporary closure.

A further object is to provide a closure comprising a one-piece flange portion which includes an inte ral retaining means for holdin it in sea ing position upon the re ceptac e, and to adapt said retaining means to be readily torn off to release the closure and yet to leave the closure in further temporary use.

A further object is to provide simple and efliclent means whereby to suitably obscure the torn edge of the closure and to guard the same against contact with the users fingers.

A further object is to provide a closure having its flange portion made up of a strip of metal bent into cylindrical shape and seamed together, to provide aclosure retaming part upon the flange portion adapted to be torn off therefrom for releasing the closure, and to provide a simple means for obscuring and protecting the torn edge portion of a character to reinforce the mentioned seam as well as the entire lower ed e of the flange and prevent likelihood of said seam being opened during the tearing operation.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the inven t1on:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a closure constructed in accordance with this invention, the same being shown partly in vertical section and illustrating the closure as it appears applied upon a receptacle.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank employed for the formation of the flange portion of the closure.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line III of Fig. 1, and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a modified form of the'closure.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the exemplary structure therein shown, the reference character L indicates the receptacle which, for convenience, may be understood to represent the upper portion of a ketchup or like bottle. An annular head 1 is formed upon this receptacle exteriorly at a point spaced at suitable discondition for tance below the upper edge serving as means to be gripped by the closure for locking the closure to the receptacle.

The closure consists of a cover portion G and a flange portion H. These may be formed of two separate pieces of metal joined together by suitable seams and it will be understood that an-important feature of this invention resides in adapting-so-called two-piece closure features to use in association with the other features of this invention.

It is well known, for instance, that a drawn closure; that is, a closure in which the flange portion is formed by drawing down an integral marginal part of the cover portion, in addition to being more expensive to produce than the two piece closure, cannot be lacquered, painted, or otherwise ornamented on its flange portion prior to the drawing of the flange.

A two piece closure, is, therefore, illustrated in the drawings, the piece forming the flange portion, the blank for which is illustrated in Fig. 2, being connected together by its ends, as by a seam 2 extending vertically of the closure, and the cover portion being connected with the flange portion by means of an annular seam 3.

The seam 3 is preferably, the not necessarily, of a character such that it holds the cover and flange parts rigidly and immovably coimected together and at the same time provides an attractively rounded edge surface 4 at the u per edge of the closure projecting above the uppermost surface of the cover serving at once to frame the cover and to protect against injury any lacquer, paint or other ornamentation carried by the cover. This seam also serves as an effectual reinforcing element for retaining the closure against distortion at all times.

Within the closure, and in fact forming a art thereof, resting against the inner surace of the cover, is a disk sha ed gasket 5 of cork, 01 other suitable gas at material, the same being held in position by frictional engagement with the walls of the flange portion of the closure. This gasket, in use, is intended to rest upon the upper edge surface of the rece tacle.

Preferably t e flange portion H of the closure is made substantlall smooth and uninterrupted thruout its entire surface and it may bear any suitable paint or lacquer. or may be ornamented in any suitable manner, as indicated by the ornamentation 6, and its lower annular edge, which normally would extend straight downwardly about the rece tacle to a point slightly below the lower e ge of the bead 1, is bent, or flanged, inwardl as at 7, to underlie said bead and to there y hold the closure against displacement.

It will be understood, of course, that an that this bent portion is intended to maintain the gasket pressure after the force has been relieved.

At a point spacedslightly above its lower edge the flange portion H of the closure is formed with a score line 8 extending substantially thruout the circumference thereof and adapting the portion of the closure below it to be severed or torn off from the portion above whenever it is desired to re move the closure.

As a. convenient means by which to tear olf the portion of the flange below the score, which portion may be conveniently referred to herein as the attaching portion 9, the drawing illustrates a suitable tongue 10 continuing from one end of said. portion and overlapping the opposite end adapted to be lifted by the users fingers and to constitute an eiiicient finger grip. If desired the portion 9 may be wholly severed from the main portion of the flange, as at 11, for a suitable distance along the score 8 so as to provide an effective length for the tongue, and in this connection reference will be had particularly to the illustration Fig. 2, wherein it will be seen that the extreme outer end edge, as 12, of the tongue is in line with the edge 13 of the main portion of the blank; that is, that no projection, or added length, has been provided upon the blank for providing the tongue or any part thereof. A

decided economy in material is thus effected and yet a very satisfactory finger gri size given to the tongue by means of the sit 11.

The part 14 of the blank providing the gripping bend 7 is also omitted or cut away adjacent to the tongue 10 for approximately the same distance as the length of the slit 11 so as not to interfere with the proper functioning of the tongue.

The seam 2 maybe of any form or kind, but in the drawings, particularly in Fig. 3, is shown to be of the interlocking type; that is, the blank is provided with opposite end portions 15 and 16 which are bent back upon themselves into hook shape, and these are interengaged with each other. This interlocking seam may extend for the entire' vertical length of the closure above the score 8, or it may extend for any portion of said length as may be desired, the remaining portion, of course, being either a plain butt or lap joint, as indicated, for instance, at 17. It is preferred, however, that the interlocking seam shall appear at least at a point closely adjacent to the score '8 so as thereby to prevent opening of the seam when force is applied in tearin off of the attaching portion 9, and wit regard to this it is pointed out particularly that the provision the body of the closure at a names? of the slit 11 not only aifords advantages as above mentioned, but also places the point, as 18 where the tearing operation begins, at a locality so that the strain applied in beginning the tearing operation is felt by oint where it is less likely to cause any portion of the seam to be lifted or bent outwardly into an objectionable obstruction upon the surface of the temporary closure. The slit or notch 11 may in some instances actually terminate within the plane of the seam, and it will he understood therefore that wherever herein the notch is referred to as extending beyond the seam, or the equivalent, it is meant that the notch is so placed as to cause the initial tearing-ofi' strains to be felt at a point suit- I ably removed from an openable or liftable portion of the seam, as for instance the liftable edge portion denoted by the seam line 23 in the drawing, as to minimize the tendency to lift said portion.

While the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates the tongue 10 to be formed upon that end of the blank which overlies the opposite end in the completed closure, yet, as suggested in Fig. 4, the tongue may, if desired, be formed upon the opposite end of the blank which, in the completed closure, lies under the first end and is thus less liable to be separated from the first end when the tongue is torn back.

As a further precaution against possible opening of the seam when the tongue is torn back, it is proposed that, if desired, the seam, particularly at its lower end adjacent the tongue, as at 19, Fig. 4, may be distorted or otherwise operated upon so that the strain of tearing back the tongue, whether the tongue be upon the upper or nether end of the blank, will be resisted by positively locked portions of the seam.

A suitable distortion of the seam for this purpose is shown in Fig. 4 to consist of an annular bead 20 positioned so that it constitutes in efi'ect an ornamental addition to the closure continuing across the seam so that the various thicknesses of metal comprising the seam are bent to follow the transverse curvature of the bead and are thus caused to present such opposing surfaces to each other that separation would be unlikely.

By extending the seam to or near the point where the tearing of? of the attaching portion 9 begins, said seam is made to constitute an efiicient reinforcing element for preventing likelihood of distortion of the closure under the-initial tearing strain. and this is particularly true where the seam is itself locked against separation as just described.

It .is important to note further that the position of the bead 20, being directly above .and adjacent to the score 8, places said score in a protected position beneath the bead.

When the attaching portion 9, therefore,

has been torn off the resultant raw edge left upon the body of the closure will be so obscured and protected that it will offer neither an undesirable appearance nor a menace to the users fingers. The head also stifi'ens the lower edge of the closure and permits distortion of said lower edge both during the tearing ofl' operation and afterward.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, it is contemplated that, if desired, the body portion of this closure may be formed with threads, as 21, for interengagementwith corresponding threads formed upon the receptacle.

The score 8 may be formed by cutting into the-metal from either the outer or the inner surface. When out from the outer surface it may be depended upon to provide a suitably rounded edge, as 22, after the attaching portion is torn off, which edge 22 will not be liable to injure the fingers.

The diameter of the closure is preferably somewhat greater than the outside diameter of the portion of the receptacle above the head 1, and this is of advantage in that it permits of the main body of the closure; that is, the closure after the attaching portion 9 has been torn off, being readily applied to, or removed from. the receptacle during the temporary use thereof after the seal has been broken. It also provides a suitable space between the closure and the receptacle for accommodating the several thicknesses of metal comprising the seam 2, which seam is preferably formed wholly within the closure, as seen in Fig. 3, so that the outer surfacegi will be substantially smooth and uninterrupted.

A closure constructed as herein disclosed requires no additional or separately formed receptacle seal; that is, it carries its own sealin element as a substantial part of itself. t may be painted, lacquered, or otherwise ornamented and protected upon either or both its top or its side surfaces. 7

The side surface will be smooth and even thruout so that painted, printed, or other desired ornamentation impressed thereon, or carried thereby. will appear attractively, and will continue in the same form unblemished after the attaching portion 9 has been removed and while the closure is being employed as a temporary, or loose cover for the end of the receptacle. vantages are secured by the employment for the flange or skirt portion of the closure of a blank of general rectangular contour bearing,before the formation of the closure, the desired paint, or other ornamentation, or protection coat, and formed with a single score line defining a relatively small integral marginal portion which will constitute attaching means for the closure and which may be torn ofi by means of a tongue,

And these adformed within the main outlineof the blank, to enable removal of the closure. The seam 2 which holds the blank in cylindrical form has its lower end terminating above the score ever is provided as a convenient expedient for this purpose.

As many changes could be made in this construction Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A receptacle closure comprising cover and flange portions, the flange portion being formed from a piece of sheet metal bent into cylindrical form, and having its meeting edges seamed together by a seam extending substantially vertically of the closure, an integral attaching portion provided upon the flange portion connected therewith by a score so that it may be readily torn therefrom, and there being a notch provided in the flange portion adjacent-the seam and extendin into said score whereby to prevent likelihood of separation of the ends at said seam during the tearing operation.

2. A receptacle closure comprising cover and flange portions, the flange portion being formed from a piece of sheet metal bent I into cylindrical form and having its meeting edges seamed together by a seam extending substantiall vertically of the closure, an integral attaching portion provided upon the flange portion connected therewith by a score so that it may be readily torn therefrom, and means to prevent likelihood of separation of the ends at said seam during the tearing operation, comprising an annular bead formed upon said flange by bending the material thereof, said beadextending across said seam. i

3. A receptacle closure comprising cover and flan e portions, the flange portion being formed i rom a piece of sheet metal bent into cylindrical form and having its meeting edges seamed together by a seam extending substantially vertically of the closure. an

integral attaching portion provided upon the flange portion connected therewith by a scoreso that it may be readily torn therefrom, and the parts comprising said seam being bent transversely of the seam at a point adjacent said score to thereby lock said seam against opening during the tearing operation.

4. A receptacle closure comprising cover and flange portions, the flange portion being formed from a piece of sheet'metal bent into cylindrical form and having its meeting edges seamed together by a seam extending substantially vertically of the closure, an integral attaching portion provided upon the flange portion connected therewith by a score so that it may be readily torn therefrom, and means formed upon the flange adj acent said score serving at once to reinforce the flange against distortion during the tearing ofi' operation and to obscure and protect the rawedge left-after the tearing ofl" operation.

5. A receptacle closure comprising cover and flange portions, the flange portion being formed from a piece of sheet metal bent into cylindrical shape and having its meeting edges seamed together by a seam extending substantially vertically of the closure, an integral attaching portion provided upon the flange connected therewith by a score so that it may be readily torn therefrom, a tongue provided upon said attaching portion to facilitate the tearing-oft operation, said ton 6 being disposed adjacent to the seam an said piece of sheet metal being shaped to provide connection between the base of the tongue and the remainder of the attaching portion at a point so removed from the immediate region of said seam as to reduce likelihood of separation of the ends at said seam during the tearing-ofl' operation.

6. The combination with a receptacle having an open upper end and having an outstanding annular bead thereon adjacent to but spaced downwardly from said upper end, of a closure for said receptacle comprising cover' and flange portions, the cover portion being adapted to overlie the upper end of the receptacle for sealing the opening in said upper end, the flange portion being adapted to extend downwardly about the outer annular surface of the receptacle and about said bead, the internal diameter of the flange portion being greater than the external diameter of the receptacle above the head to thereby provide a cavity within the closure above the bead, the flan e portion being formed from a strip 0 sheet metal bent into cylindrical shape and hav-- ing its meeting edges seamed together by a seam extending substantially vertically of the closure and terminating short of the lower edge of the flange portion, said seam pr je t ng inwardly of the closure and being received within said cavity, the lower annular portion of the flange beyond the lower end 0 the seam being shaped to grip said bead for retaining the closure in sealing position, and being connected with the remainder of the flange by a score line, and having a finger grip whereby to facilitate its convenient disconnection.

7. A receptacle closure comprising separately formed cover and flange parts connected together, the flange part being made up of a piece of sheet metal bent into cylindric'al form and having its ends seamed together, said flange part having a portion to engage the receptacle to retam the closure upon the receptacle, said piece of sheet metal being shaped-so that the seam by which the ends thereof are connected together extends for only a portion of the length of said ends and so that the remainder of the length of said ends are not connected together, and means whereby the entire circumferential integral portion of said flange lying in the plane of said disconnected end portions may be removed at will for releasing the closure.

8. A receptacle closure comprising a one-piece skirt portion, said skirt portion having a part adapted for use as means to retain the closure in sealing position upon a receptacle, means whereby said retaining part may detached from said skirt by an operation likely to produce an undesirable edge upon the skirt, and said skirt having means formed as a part thereof disposed to protect and obscure said undesirable edge, said skirt being adapted' to tear along a line beneath said protecting means.

9. A receptacle closure comprising a oneiece skirt having a side seam therein, the Blank from which said skirt is formed being shaped so that said seam extends for onl a portion of the length of the skirt and so t at the remainder of the length of the skirt is unseamed, the unseamed portion of the length of the skirt comprising an integral tear-ofl strip intended to be bent for holding the closure upon a receptacle its disconnected end portions providing means by which it may be gripped for manual removal, and said tear-off strip being defined by a score line extending around the skirt below ,the lower end of the side seam so as thereby to place the tear-ofl' strip in a plane below the lower end of said seam and thus to leave the seamed portion of the skirt intact after removal of the tear-off strip.

10. A receptacle closure comprising cover and flange portions formed from sheet metal the flange portion being bent into cylindrical form and having meeting edge parts seamed together by a seam which extends substantially vertically of the closure and for only a portion of the length of the flange the remainder of the length of the flange being left unseamed, the unseamed portion of the length of the flange comprising an integral tear-ofi' strip intended to be bent for holding the closure upon a receptacle its disconnected end portions providing means by which it may be gripped for manual removal, and said integral tear-ofl' strip being defined by a score line which extends entirely around the flange and whereby the entire circumferential integral portion of the flange lying in theplane of said disconnected end portions may be removed at will for releasing the closure.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LESLIE R. N. CARVALHO.

Witnesses: 1

L. Gnssronn HANDY,

MAY SoHuLz. 

